The present invention relates to a method for writing a plurality of files to a tape (a tape medium or a tape cartridge). The present invention more particularly relates to a writing method capable of reducing an average time for file position seek (or file seek) in reading of a plurality of files stored on a tape.
The time required for a tape drive to retrieve a data piece on a tape medium is dependent on a length of the tape medium. The length of the tape medium is about 800 m, and a running speed of the tape medium is about 10 m/sec at a maximum. An average time required for retrieving the data which is at an arbitrary position in the tape medium is about tens of seconds. It takes about two seconds at most to move across wraps, and an operation of retrieving a piece of data stored on the tape is performed in parallel with movement of the tape in a longitudinal direction. Accordingly, the time taken for data retrieval is typically determined by the moving time of the tape in the longitudinal direction.